Speak or Sing Trying
by SnowyDayStarlight
Summary: *OLD* A group of Capitol children watch the 69th Hunger Games. Something unexpected happens. Will they ever understand what was edited out? Probably not.
1. The Beginning of the End

**A/N:** These are the same characters I used in the one-shot 'Fake Blood.' It's seen through Tamia's point of view.

Characters:

Tamia: Narrator (female)

Riley: Friend (male)

Florida: Friend (female)

Adelio: Friend (male)

oooooooo

"Hey, it's starting!"

"What?"

"Be quiet! I can't hear!"

"Me neither!"

"So _shut up_!"

I swear, when Florida and Adelio are together, it's impossible for them to be quiet. I don't want to spend all night like this. What about the Games? That's why they're here in the first place. We all wanted to watch the finale together. Does anyone remember? "Guys, seriously, calm down. Just rewind it."

Florida blinks. "Oh. Right."

Four hands reach for the remote at the same time.

"Adelio! Give it!"

He grins. "Not a chance,_ Flori_."

That's it. I'm leaving.

"I'll be getting the popcorn, okay?" I call out, relatively sure no one is listening.

I was right. Florida and Adelio are too busy squabbling to notice. The biggest reaction I get is a small nod from Riley, who's busy sipping his soda and watching, amused, as the fighting unfolds in front of him.

Well, whatever. Things will simmer down eventually.

I make my way to the baby blue kitchen. The tiled floor is cold under my bare feet. Maybe I should get some slippers . . .

Caesar Flickerman's voice drifts from the other room. Apparently, they've gotten things under control in there and restarted the program. Better hurry.

I rush over to the microwave. The popcorn was in there for long enough, I suppose. It'll be good enough. I pop open the door and grab the full-to-bursting bag.

Where are the bowls? Which cabinet, which cabinet . . .

Eh, who cares? We'll just eat out of the bag. I'm only concerned with how the Hunger Games end! Sadie has been tracking Current, and I'm almost sure they're going to fight this time. It's the 21st episode, and that's about how long a Game usually takes to complete.

I'm guessing that, in reality, someone has won by now. That's kind of how it works, as far as I can gather. They film a day, make it into an episode, and air it the next. So we're about a day behind.

I'm holding the hot bag in my hands, trying not to spill popcorn onto the floor, as I rush to the TV room. Caesar has already finished his little introduction, talking about the last two contestants and who's going to win. So far, the odds are in Current's favor. He's strong and good with swords and stuff, but Sadie is fast. I'm rooting for her, and so is Riley. Florida and Adelio want Current to win. It's kind of weird; they act like they hate each other, but agree about a lot.

I plop the food onto the coffee table. It makes a satisfying, crunching noise. Almost immediately, Adelio's hand is reaching for it.

Now, where to sit?

Riley smiles, and I respond in kind. He pats the spot next to him on the couch. Hoping he can't see my blush, I sit down next to him. Florida tosses me a furry blanket, my favorite, the blue-grey one with silver spots.

Perfect. Bring on the Games.

oooooooo

The Arena is a hot, sandy, and barren wasteland. Definitely not the best fighting ground I've seen, but the tributes made up for it. They were really fun to watch. Granted, a lot of them died from thirst, which was lame, but I loved seeing the smart ones find solutions. Sadie actually _cut open_ a weird, spiky plant to get water. Besides being fast, she's also super-smart, which is why I want her to win. Keeps her cool when things get hot, no pun about the arena intended.

Right now, the camera is on Sadie. She's still planning to ambush Current, the boy from District Four. I'm not sure how she's going to do it. Last I saw him, he was resting in the shade of the Cornucopia, trying to get away from the sun.

Sadie's leaning against a boulder, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. She looks really terrible, all burnt skin and sick eyes. Her clothes have been reduced to filthy rags that hang loosely on her skinny frame. I hate to admit it, but this girl's chances aren't so good.

She coughs, a horrible, dry sound, and sinks to her knees. The sand and dust are sent into the air, then settle back down, bathing her battered body in tan powders. The blood on her arm doesn't look so bright after being sprinkled with the stuff.

She takes a shuddering breath, inhaling even more sand. I'm beginning to worry she's going to just flop over and die when she puts a trembling hand on her backpack and slowly eases it off, wincing as the straps rub her tender arms.

She fumbles with the latch, and after a while, managed to snap it open. She reaches in and pulls out her only supplies: A rope, some strong nails, a hammer, and an empty flask. She looks at it longingly, licking her cracked lips, but moves on to peer around the boulder.

The camera moves to show what Sadie's looking at. Not very far away, you can see the Cornucopia. She's closer to Current than I first thought.

It's a weird setup. You could say Sadie is at the edge of a drinking glass, and Current is in it, along with the Cornucopia. There's a single ladder you can climb to get out of the pit, but that's all. I think Sadie's plan has something to do with this.

I'm getting really interested when it switches to Current. He's standing in the shade, looking around through narrowed eyes. He takes a swig of water from a jug, pauses, and kicks the Cornucopia. It makes a metallic, ringing, sort-of-hollow sound. It's been empty for a long time now, since a fire burnt most of the supplies to ashes.

He sighs, sits back down, and waits.

oooooooo

Meanwhile, Sadie has been busy. She found an old log somewhere and has dragged it back over to the boulder. She's trying to slide it underneath the boulder, huffing and puffing as she pushes down onto it. She's about to get it when the wood splinters, sending a shower of chips her way. She winces, wipes the blood off her face, and struggles to keep from collapsing.

oooooooo

Current swings the sword, and its blade collides with the Cornucopia. It leaves a small dent. He growls in frustration, and turns towards the horizon.

"_Where is she?"_

oooooooo

There are even more snapped logs at Sadie's feet. The Gamemakers have edited out a lot. That doesn't bother me, but what Sadie is doing does.

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

She keeps on throwing herself at the boulder, and each time, she collapses, only to pick herself up and keep going. The rock is actually _splattered _with red. She's hurting herself! Is she insane or something?

She looks ready to cry, except I don't think there's enough water in her for tears.

Maybe the heat got to -

Oh my God.

_Seriously? _Is she doing what I think she is?

Sadie has backed away from the boulder, and is now staring at it with a mix of terror and determination. She gulps, closes her eyes, and -

_CRACK!_

She really did it. Sadie went and charged the boulder.

A shriek snakes out of her mouth, almost hiding the muffled crash of her hitting the sand. I wince in spite of myself at the sight of her arm, twisted backwards and grotesque.

What am I missing here? What's going -?

_Oh._

A tiny gasp escapes my lips as I see the boulder teeter on the edge of the sand cliff, lose balance, and go plummeting into the ditch. It's pretty much a straight drop, but there's just enough curve to get the stone rolling.

This whole time, Sadie's been pushing the boulder.

That's what the Gamemakers decided not to show us, to save time and keep her plan secret. It worked.

And now, the boulder is barreling straight at Current.

A huge grin spreads across my face. "_Yes!_ Told you Sadie would -"

Current looks up in surprise, yelps, and leaps to the side. My face falls, and it's Florida's turn to cry out in triumph.

But the Cornucopia isn't so lucky. The gold horn is knocked down by the sheer force of the boulder, the metal screaming in protest as it sinks to the ground. Ash comes spilling out of the mouth, courtesy of the supply-wrecking fire.

This is so exciting! I don't think anyone has ever broken the Cornucopia before!

So much ash . . . The pit is now filled with it. Current, blind and shocked, stumbles around aimlessly in the mess of black air.

Then sneezes.

Then coughs.

Then retches into the sand. I have to look away from the disgusting mess.

Sputtering and spitting, with drool running down his chin, he rushes madly for the ladder. He knows he can't stay in the Cornucopia anymore. Sadie drew him out of his hiding place. She's got him!

Wait. No, she doesn't. He's still holding the sword.

Sadie isn't safe yet.

This Game isn't over.

I feel around with my hand for the bag of popcorn, not wanting to look away from the screen.

"Best TV show _ever_!"

**A/N: Whew. Now **_**that**_** is one extremely**__**wordy chapter. Anyway, I hope you liked it. I'll be posting the next one real soon. Kisses!**

**-Snow**


	2. What Nobody Heard

**A/N: I'll survive. . . Probably. . .**

**My computer crashed yesterday, and when it started back up, I had lost all my files! I actually had a few stories typed, and I was planning on uploading them today. I guess I can redo them, but here's the terrible, horrible, no-good very-bad part:**

**My book was on there!**

**Yes, **_**the **_**book. The book that every young author pours there heart and soul into, the book that you think about 24/7, the book that will make you famous in the world of literature.**

**Luckily, I had only chapters one and two. Plus, I have them practically memorized. And by the time I do redo them, the plot will probably be a heck lot different, anyway.**

**But that's not your problem. I'd better get to the actual fanfiction. Enjoy! It's nice to know someone appreciates me :)**

**Oh, and I know the whole 'pushing the boulder' thing wasn't realistic. I tried, okay?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. There. I said it. You happy?**

oooooooo

So, what happens next?

I can't even see Current, there's so much ash. The high-quality cameras don't seem to be ready for the clouds of blackness that come their way. Everything, and I mean everything, goes dark. There's some more coughing, a scuffling noise, and -

Commercial break. A woman is raving about Diana's Hair Dyes.

Ugh! Why do the advertisements come on just when things are getting good?

Apparently, my friends are thinking along the same lines.

"Really?" Adelio groans. "Of all times. . ." He leans back, stretching, and flexes his fingers. "Jeez, everything's all tingly. How long have we been sitting here?"

Riley shrugs, his eyes half closed. He looks pretty comfy, bundled up in fuzzy blankets. "It's super late. Should we just record it for later?"

Florida mock-gasps. "And have the jerks at school spoil it for us? That would suck. I _hate_ knowing who wins! It makes all the fights boring." She winks at Riley and me with a shining purple eye. "And it would ruin our bet, right? Just you wait, Current will pull through."

"Weren't you watching?" I say. "He's trapped. My money is on him suffocating."

Florida rolls her eyes. "He was headed for the ladder, stupid. _Duh_, he'll make it. So what he can't see too good? It's like having your eyes closed. Look, I'll do it now."

She stands up, covers her face with her hands, and stumbles towards the kitchen. There are a lot of words that can be used to describe Florida, but coordinated isn't one of them. I wince at the loud crash that comes from the other room, followed by a girl's voice swearing loudly.

"Not again" I mutter. The next time I open my mouth, what I say is for Florida to hear. "Seriously, my parents are asleep. Don't wake them up."

She trudges back in, rubbing a red mark her forehead with a disgruntled air. "Yeah, well. . ."

Adelio interrupts her, stopping mid-stretch to face me. "They've been sleeping this whole time?"

"Yeah, so?"

Adelio crosses his arms. "Lucky! My parents never let me watch the Games alone. Actually, they didn't want me to come here. I convinced them that you're mom or dad would be with us. It wasn't even a lie; I was expecting to be 'supervised'. Not that I'm complaining."

Riley nods. "Same here. . . My folks don't really like the Games. It's not like they're any more violent than some of the freaky movies out there. They overreact a lot, you know?"

I'm ready for a change in subject. I get embarrassed whenever people say I'm especially lucky or fortunate. I'd hate to think I'm better off than my friends. Looking desperately to the TV for a distraction, I find one. The Capitol Seal shines on the screen, to be replaced by bold black letters spelling out 'The Hunger Games.'

"Guys, shush" I say. "They're back on."

Instantly, everyone goes quiet. Florida gives up on acting cross and settles into a chair, her eyes glued to the screen.

The words fade out, and the picture changes to a shot of Sadie.

She's watching the pit with a blank expression, unmoving. Slowly, she takes a step backwards, then another, one more, and before I know it, she's running as fast as she can for the ladder. She only stops once to grab her hammer.

I see where this is going. Sadie's going to cut the ladder so Current can't get out. He'll choke in the ash, right? There's no wind in the arena to blow it away, so it has to work.

A triumphant grin crosses my face. I look over my shoulder to Florida, ready to rub it in, when something happens I definitely wasn't expecting.

_"It's the - Eye of the Tiger, it's the thrill of the fight . . ."_

Music. There's music blaring from the TV.

I spin my head back around to see what's going on, and why the Games disappeared, and -

Nothing. They look completely normal. Sadie has just reached the ladder.

_"Rising up, to the challenge of our rival. . ."_

A soundtrack? Riley and I exchange confused glances. He pauses thoughtfully, shrugs, and continues watching. So he doesn't care?

Well, I suppose the lyrics _do_ kind of fit the Games, but as far as I can remember, their audio has never been changed before.

_"And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night. . ."_

Eh, ignore it. Most of the time, it's only what you see that matters.

_"And he's watching us all through the eye - Of the Tiger."_

Back to the Games.

Hmph. Well _that's _strange.

The angles are all wrong. Sadie's face is never in the shot, but I want to see her expression! It's almost like they're purposely blocking it out. She's jumping, too, and waving her hands wildly.

Something that makes me even more annoyed is that they keep on replaying that same verse.

_"It's the - Eye of the Tiger, it's the thrill of the fight. . ."_, over and over and over again.

There! I _finally _saw her face. Only for a second, but it's better than nothing.

She was saying something. . . I saw her mouth open and close. It was actually kind of creepy; she was clawing at her skin and bloodshot eyes, stomping the ground and, as far as I can gather, screaming her head off. What she's screaming about, however, remains a mystery. If it weren't for that weird song drowning her out, I'd know.

Now I'm curious.

Wait, Current! With all this excitement, I nearly forgot about him.

And now I see it. A scratched, filthy, ash-coated hand reaching up from the pit. The ladder, he climbed it, as Sadie was (and still is) doing her freaky-dance thing.

Please, Sadie, snap out of it. I'm betting on you, here!

_"Rising up, to the challenge of our rival. . ."_

Current is slowly pulling himself up. He's halfway out.

_"And the last. . ."_

Finally, they're steadily filming Sadie's face and not just flashes of it. I see her eyes widen, and watch as she instinctively swings herself around to meet Current.

_"Known survivor. . ."_

Her grip on the hammer tightens, fingers turn white from how hard she holds it.

_"Stalks his. . ."_

I know it's over when I see the hammer lifted into the air.

_"Prey. . ."_

In a graceful curve, the weapon descends onto Current's head, smashing open his skull. Blood raining down into the hole he came from. Chips of bone plummeting. His brain, pieces of it, leaking out like water from a cracked pitcher.

Riley's hand finds mine.

_"In the night. . ."_

And Current's body follows his insides, going limp, his fingers slipping from the ladder. He's falling down, down, down into the blackness. . .

_"And he's watching us all. . ."_

Sadie looks on as her victim plummets, seemingly lost.

_"Through the Eye. . ."_

Her hand loosens. The hammer falls, the dull thud of it hitting the ground cut out by song.

_"Of the Tiger."_

The music stops abruptly.

Sadie stands there, frozen, as a cannon fires.

The camera closes in on her face.

Empty. Like a husk.

_The hand not squeezing Riley's reaches for a pillow and holds on tightly._

Her head slowly begins to tilt upward.

_Oh -_

A long, bloodcurdling scream. Starting low and mournful, then steadily rising, lifting into a high pitched shriek of anguish.

_Oh my God._

She falls to her knees, tearing at her hair, still screaming.

_My stomach hurts. . ._

She pounds at the ground, wailing and howling.

_Oh my God!_

Lifts her head to the sky one last time. Her bloody lips form two words before darts come raining down on her:

"**IT'S NOT -**"

Then she collapses, unconscious, into sand that's slowly turning red.

The medics collect her body.

Claudius Templesmith's voice booms out from the speakers, deep and strong. "Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you the victor of the 69th Hunger Games: Sadie Kotzuba!"

The screen goes black.

Everything is silent.

Except for the one word I breathe:

"Wow."

That was the most horrific, terrifying, _brilliant _Game ever.

Much worse and much better than any horror movie.

oooooooo

"How did the public react?"

"President Snow, sir. Very well."

"The music; they suspect nothing, correct?"

"We've made sure of it."

"Good. This does, of course, mean we'll have to add a song to every Game from now on. But there are plenty to choose from. And our victor; she's in such a delicate mental state. Please see to it that she receives proper treatment."

"What kind?"

"We can't edit a live interview like the Games, or any of her speeches on the Victor's tour. I don't want her spreading rumors. Do anything it takes to make sure she won't. Or can't."

"Consider it done."

"Really? Then you may leave."

President Snow glides over to his balcony, throwing open the lace curtains to let in blue - tinted light. Deep in thought, he absentmindedly strokes the white rose in his suit's pocket.

On his office's television, Sadie is screaming.

The uncensored version, before music was added. What _really _happened it the arena.

"**It's not just a game!**_** Not just a game!**_** Stop watching us die! Stop it! I don't want to kill anymore! IT'S NOT JUST A GAME!**"

Too bad nobody heard.

oooooooo

**A/N: Well there you have it. My second story, completed. *bows deeply***

**Okay, so the hammer smashing Current's head was completely unrealistic, but I gave it a shot. **

**I messed up President Snow's scene so badly! Jeez, I didn't know I could be so overly-dramatic. The problem is, I have no idea how to fix it. If anyone has a suggestion on how to tone it down a bit, please, let me know.**

**I've to set to work on another story, also for the Hunger Games. It will be one or two chapters **_**supernatural **_**story. I'm quite proud of the idea, actually.**

**One last thing: Sorry about the use of 'Oh my God.' Personally, I dislike the phrase. Not that I'm religious or anything, I just think it's overused and rude to people who are. I only made my characters say it because that's how they'd speak. **

**Best wishes, and keep writing!**

**-Snow**


End file.
